When to Start Wearing Make Up: The Big Teen Girl Question

By Andrea L. who loves writing, filming and editing, and she is passionate about helping teenagers.

Wearing make-up used to be one of the teenage girl milestones that marked a transition. It was something to grow into and not just a given. Only a few years ago it seemed like, as girls made the transition from elementary school to middle school and then on to high school, more and more habits changed. They were allowed more freedom, more responsibility and were treated more and more like an adult. They also made the transition from shopping at stores like Limited Too to shopping at Victoria Secret’s Pink and Hollister. And then they began to wear make up.

That was the way that teenagers used to be raised. But now it’s a bit different. Girls seem to be growing up faster and faster, and their self-image has completely changed. If you stop by at a nearby middle school, not only would the girls have iPhones but many would be wearing make-up, and I don’t mean Lip Smackers. Foundation, eye-liner, mascara – all things that used to be found in late teens and adults, not tweens and even pre-teens.

In fact, a New York Times article cites a study which shows that the percentage of girls ages 8-12 who regularly wear eye make-up almost doubled, and the percentage who wear lip stick increased by 1/3. And the same goes for older teens – in the same article, Neutrogena brand director Cara Robinson says that “At least three out of four consumers age 14 to 17 are using a foundation product, and usage is actually a bit higher for mascara and lip gloss.” Those are some huge numbers!

This doesn’t hold true for all girls; some still wait until high school or just don’t wear any at all. However, there are many more girls that cannot wait to cover up their supposed ”flaws”.

I remember being in middle school and begging my mother to let me wear makeup to the 8th grade semi and to the Jonas Brothers’ concert. When she allowed me to, it made waiting so worth-while to have a night where I felt older and a bit grown up. And every girl should experience something like this – a moment where they begin to see themselves as an adult rather than a child.

Make-up is something that not many girls think of as being a big deal, but it is – it’s a sign of transition from childhood to adult hood. I think high school is the right time for when a girl should start wearing make up on a regular basis. But of course there’s nothing wrong with some makeup for special occasions every now and again; it’s a way for young girls to feel grown-up for a night and get to experience what is ahead of them.

However, wearing make up at a young age teaches young girls that they’re not good enough without make-up on and this can have very negative consequences for their self-esteem and body image. Usually, middle school is the time to gain confidence and prepare yourself for high school. Relying on make-up that early taints your vision of yourself, and how are you supposed to continue to grow and learn about who you really are when you hide your true self under pounds of make-up?

Make-up is essentially a way of covering your supposed flaws while giving you an extra confidence boost in the form of blush and concealer. But it stops there. Make-up doesn’t bring that confidence and beauty deep into your soul and in fact it covers up your true strength and radiance.

You’re beautiful without lipstick, and eye-liner and blush. You’re beautiful because you’re you and if anything, wearing make-up taints that.

“Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.” Khalil Gibran